ABSTRACT
Medical therapies that inhibit or reverse cardiac remodeling have been remarkably effective in improving the clinical course of patients with cardiac dysfunction. New medical therapies designed at targets that extend beyond the neurohormonal pathways represent another approach for treating cardiac remodeling. Patients who demonstrate progressive left ventricular remodeling have evidence of ongoing myocyte loss due to apoptosis. Alterations in the composition and quantity of the extracellular matrix occur during cardiac remodeling and it is recognized that the changes have an important impact on the global structure and function of the heart. The role of device therapy in treating heart failure patients has experienced considerable growth. Cardiac resynchronization therapy using a biventricular pacemaker device is the most advanced of device therapies and it is being employed with increasing frequency in clinical practice. One of the most promising approaches in treating cardiac remodeling is through surgical reconstruction of the left ventricle.
